2.1. European policies in the field of safety and security in sport

#SafeSPORTevent project is totally in line with the specific objectives, pursued by the Erasmus+ Programme in the field of sport to develop and reinforce networks; increase their capacity to operate at the transnational level; exchange good practices, and confront ideas and methods in different areas relating to sport and physical activity. #SafeSPORTevent main aim is to protect

athletes, especially the youngest, from health and

safety hazards by improving training and competition conditions and especially during force Majeure security threads that need to be handled by specific security protocols that at this point of development do not exist in the sports sector. The project supports the mobility of volunteers, coaches, managers and staff of non-profit sports organisations for educational purposes and to enrich their skills and knowledge for reaction in safety and security situations.

#SafeSPORTevent project aims to contribute to further human capacity development in sport through the development of a set of mobilities for sports managers, volunteers and administrators that will include both educational modules and modules for the exchange of good practices in the field of safety and security in sport, with the accent on sports events and gatherings of huge amount of people in the sports environment. Project use and further development in the field of safety and security, the non-formal educational methodology, Education Through Sport /ETS/ which is an illustration of using sport as a learning tool and thereby taking steps to stretch sport beyond the activity itself. ETS approach in the context of education, based on non-formal education, experiential learning and active participation, is a conceptual model and a practical learning tool. The activities of this methodology assist and enrich the non-formal learning processes

in the sports sector and equip participating sports management and organization experts with new skills and instruments to be used daily during sports

events. ETS methodology (official Salto resource) is a structured pedagogical non-formal educational approach that works with sport and physical activity and refers to the development of key competencies of individuals and groups, in order to contribute to personal development and sustainable social transformation with a main goal - active citizenship. The practical focus of the project is to develop skills and knowledge through educational mobility of sports managers, volunteers and administrators in order to empower them to co-create and use specific pro-

tocols for safety and security, tailored for sports events and gatherings of huge groups of people in

the sports environment. Through increased educational possibilities in the field of safety and security in sport, the #SafeSPORTevent project would make positive change in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey as direct project beneficiaries, but also all over Europe as project deliverables will be freely shared with the sports community.

Some of the challenges sports organizations face both on professional/elite and grassroots levels are:

• Lack of formal and non-formal education in the field of safety and security in sports and especially during organized sports events that gather huge amounts of people together;

• Lack of specific protocols for reaction in force Majeure situations that might ensure proper reaction if such situations are suddenly happening;

• Clearly expressed need at national and European levels to ensure quality protocols and instruments for reaction during force Majeure situations on the sports field.

At the same time, there is a huge amount of sports events (more than 300 over the World, including the major sports forum - the Olympic Games) that have been cancelled in the last months due to the biosecurity emergency COVID-19 pandemic and as some of them had to be interrupted while happening and there were none or very limited protocols for the reaction of sports organizations, organizing those events.

2.1. European policies in the field of safety and security in sport

Until the moment, on the field of sport and physical activity in the EU has been implemented the following phases of sports policy development:

• The 2007 White Paper on Sport noted that self-regulation can deal with most challenges that affect sport if good governance principles are being applied;

• In its 2011 Communication (Developing the European Dimension in Sport) the Commission took a more elaborate position, noting that good governance in sport is a condition for the autonomy and self-regulation of sports organisations;

• In 2011, the topics of good governance and strengthening the organisation of sport in Europe were included in the Preparatory Actions in the field of sport. Eight projects were selected, implemented, and concluded by the end of 2013;

• European funding in the field of sport and physical activity has become reality in 2014 with the kickoff of the Erasmus Plus Programme 2014 – 2020 and 2021 - 2027 which allows sports clubs and organizations in the EU to combine efforts and find solutions to common problems;

• The European week of sport has been launched in 2016 and it is supporting sports clubs and organizations to reach better visibility for their activities with huge success in the last editions.

In the field of security, the Union has developed the following policies:

• EU Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the

European Council in 2005, commits the Union to combat terrorism globally, while respecting human rights and allowing its citizens to live in an area of freedom, security and justice. It is built around four strands: Prevent people from turning to terrorism and stop future generations of terrorists from emerging; Protect citizens and critical infrastructure by reducing vulnerabilities against attacks;

Pursue and investigate terrorists, impede planning, travel and communications, and cut off access to funding and materials and bring terrorists to justice; Respond in a coordinated way by preparing for the management and minimisation of the consequences of a terrorist attack, improving capacities to deal with the aftermath and taking into account the needs of victims.

• European Agenda on Security, adopted on 28 April 2015. Based on its objectives, the Commission adopted several measures to deny terrorists as much as possible the means to carry out attacks, strengthening the defences and building resilience against the terrorist threat.

• Directive on combating terrorism that reinforces the legal framework so that it covers more comprehensively conduct related to terrorism. Member States should have in place mechanisms to provide for efficient emergency response, including access to reliable information, thereby avoiding any additional suffering for victims of terrorism and their families.

A central element of the fight against terrorism is to support the Member States in protecting European society and critical infrastructures from attack. Those efforts involve a broad spectrum of governmental, private and non-government partners. Specific areas of focus include the prevention of terrorist attacks using chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials, the protection of public spaces, explosives and explosives precursors, and critical infrastructure protection (CIP). Besides facilitating networks of experts cooperating on these topics, the Commission works to track threats and develop guidance for the Member States. Given that the implementation and further development of counter-terrorism policies rely on the availability of cutting-edge technologies, the Commission is involved in facilitating their advancement through security research projects, in order to equip the Member States with the tools necessary to mitigate against the terrorist threat to European citizens.

Specific policies on reaction and preparedness for biosecurity and medical emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic will be developed at the future stage and the present moment will contribute to the evidence base of documents and resources that can be used by the sports sector, but most of them can be also applicable for any kind of huge group gatherings such as concerts, art festivals, exhibitions, etc.